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Topic	Para ranks every classic Mega Man stage theme
Paratroopa1 04/17/21 6:13:12 AM #151:	It's time to do another intermission since I have a lot of side lists to be done! I don't want to do title, ending, or boss themes yet, so what else can I do... sure, why not this? BONUS RANKING: STAGE START THEMES I dunno, what do you call them? Stage Start? Boss Selected? It's the theme that plays after you pick a boss and you see their little intro. Most games use that one common riff that started in MM1 - you know the one, I will refer to it from hereon out as the Stock Riff - so for this list, I'm actually going to include EVERY game that has one of these separately, even when they're the same theme. So, some stuff is gonna get ranked here that doesn't normally! This list is not going to be that interesting, but hey, it's interesting to look at how this theme has evolved and which games had the best take on it. 26. Mega Man: The Wily Wars (MM3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDvjzw1M5NU (Non-stock riff) Oh god, how could you do MM3 dirty like this? I haven't talked about the Wily Wars ports of the first three games, and there's a good reason why - they all suck. Not a single one of the Genesis versions of the first three games' tracks is better than the NES version, and none of them are even doing their own thing, since they're basically 1:1 ports, so there's just absolutely nothing to SAY about them - that's why I've left them out of this ranking entirely. Strangely enough, the unique Wily Wars themes themselves actually aren't so bad, maybe because they were written for the Genesis itself, but this one's extra Genesis-y and it really sucks. Boy, it sure does bang the hell out of those toms. 25. Mega Man: The Wily Wars (MM2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hD5z5--o9o (Stock riff) Somehow the worst version of the stock riff on this list, which is incredible given some of the DUBIOUS entrants to this list. This one just ends so strangely - why the three notes at the end? It just has the sound of someone who forgot what notes to play and kind of winged it. 24. Mega Man: The Wily Wars (MM1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPFoCHSTYpc (Stock riff) Barely the least offensive of the Wily Wars port-trio on this list but that's not saying much, they all sound roughly equally ugly and I hate this one the least. It's kind of funny that the MM1 and MM2 ones do sound different even though they're only barely based on their originals as it is. 23. Mega Man: The Power Battle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayV9RFxyuqk (Stock riff) Mega Man: The Power Battle is another game that isn't going to get talked about on this list much either, and for good reason - it's almost entirely reused music from the first 7 games and it's only debatably a step better than the Wily Wars sound. Slightly more unique takes all around, but still not very much to talk about, especially since the game itself is completely worth skipping compared to its vastly better sequel, The Power Fighters. Anyway, this take on MM7's version of the stock riff is BARELY better than Wily Wars, but it doesn't sound good. 22. Rockman & Forte: Challenger From The Future https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBp7FfbCUDk (Stock riff) You know what? I'm feeling nice today! Rockman & Forte 2, welcome to not-the-cellar-of-the-list for a change! I mean, don't get me wrong, this isn't GOOD, in fact it's pretty much horseshit, but it's not quite as horrible a mistake as most of the other tracks in the game. It follows R&F's peppy version of the stock riff just barely well enough to sound slightly more likeable than everything else on the list so far. 21. Mega Man IV (GB) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYFLfir2-FU (Non-stock riff) It might seem kinda mean to have MMIV this low but keep in mind there's a huge gap between the bottom 5 here and everything else, which is all pretty good. I actually don't like this one much? I mean, the actual melodic part of it is pretty cool, but I think the four seconds of that drum loop at the start make this one seem kind of silly and not exciting. I would have just cut it and had the second, cool part, but as it is the flow of it is just kinda ruined. 20. Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEktKSElC2k (Non-stock riff) Oh. That's it? Well, it's fine. 19. Mega Man Soccer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyuLI58kJ7Y (Non-stock riff) As usual, Mega Man Soccer decides to go its own fucking way in deciding which soundtrack to copy, taking MM5's stage select theme for some reason instead of the standard one. And hey, it's a damn good game to take your theme from! I'm not really a big fan of the brass samples used in this one though, it's just... a lot. 18. Mega Man: The Wily Wars (Wily Tower) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_6MogagVH0 (Non-stock riff) Unlike the other Wily Wars stage start themes, this one doesn't suck! It's pretty good. Not even half as grating on the ears, really. 17. Mega Man II (GB) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytXOKCEk_A4 (Non-stock riff) Come on, you know I'm going to do this to you every single time! This sucks but it sucks in a way that's hilarious and makes me love it for no reason, which is how you know it's from MMII GB. Every single note sounds so goddamn out of tune and wrong here and it makes for seven seconds of some seriously fascinating examination. No, really! I have no fucking idea what happened here and it's INTERESTING. And like usual, I do think that what was attempted here was pretty cool - it's a very dramatic little stage start theme even though it's a hot mess. 16. Mega Man V (GB) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJu5vULqdkQ (Non-stock riff) Pretty cool. I like that sinister little chromatic-step buildup it does at the start, which is very characteristic of MMV's soundtrack as a whole - it loves those sneaky little chromatic steps. I tried to decide whether or not I liked it more than the long run of stock riff rankings we have coming up, and I decided the answer was no, but it's pretty close! 15. Mega Man 7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t072_mGWUc4 (Stock riff) The stage start theme, and also the theme for Mega Man putting on a helmet. Out of all the non-bullshit takes on the stock riff, this one's probably the weakest, it's kinda in the screechy register and the SNES soundchip just isn't doing a lot for me here, but it's not BAD or anything. I like the flair at the end. 14. Mega Man III (GB) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPNVeEQcxK0 (Stock riff) Interestingly enough, MMIII GB is the only GB game that uses the stock riff instead of its own thing, which is weird. It's probably the most forgettable take on the stock riff although by no means bad, just very very standard. Percussion's a little washed out. 13. Mega Man 11

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Para ranks every classic Mega Man stage theme

Paratroopa1
04/17/21 6:13:12 AM
#151:

It's time to do another intermission since I have a lot of side lists to be done! I don't want to do title, ending, or boss themes yet, so what else can I do... sure, why not this?

BONUS RANKING: STAGE START THEMES

I dunno, what do you call them? Stage Start? Boss Selected? It's the theme that plays after you pick a boss and you see their little intro. Most games use that one common riff that started in MM1 - you know the one, I will refer to it from hereon out as the Stock Riff - so for this list, I'm actually going to include EVERY game that has one of these separately, even when they're the same theme. So, some stuff is gonna get ranked here that doesn't normally! This list is not going to be that interesting, but hey, it's interesting to look at how this theme has evolved and which games had the best take on it.

26. Mega Man: The Wily Wars (MM3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDvjzw1M5NU

(Non-stock riff) Oh god, how could you do MM3 dirty like this? I haven't talked about the Wily Wars ports of the first three games, and there's a good reason why - they all suck. Not a single one of the Genesis versions of the first three games' tracks is better than the NES version, and none of them are even doing their own thing, since they're basically 1:1 ports, so there's just absolutely nothing to SAY about them - that's why I've left them out of this ranking entirely. Strangely enough, the unique Wily Wars themes themselves actually aren't so bad, maybe because they were written for the Genesis itself, but this one's extra Genesis-y and it really sucks. Boy, it sure does bang the hell out of those toms.

25. Mega Man: The Wily Wars (MM2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hD5z5--o9o

(Stock riff) Somehow the worst version of the stock riff on this list, which is incredible given some of the DUBIOUS entrants to this list. This one just ends so strangely - why the three notes at the end? It just has the sound of someone who forgot what notes to play and kind of winged it.

24. Mega Man: The Wily Wars (MM1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPFoCHSTYpc

(Stock riff) Barely the least offensive of the Wily Wars port-trio on this list but that's not saying much, they all sound roughly equally ugly and I hate this one the least. It's kind of funny that the MM1 and MM2 ones do sound different even though they're only barely based on their originals as it is.

23. Mega Man: The Power Battle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayV9RFxyuqk

(Stock riff) Mega Man: The Power Battle is another game that isn't going to get talked about on this list much either, and for good reason - it's almost entirely reused music from the first 7 games and it's only debatably a step better than the Wily Wars sound. Slightly more unique takes all around, but still not very much to talk about, especially since the game itself is completely worth skipping compared to its vastly better sequel, The Power Fighters. Anyway, this take on MM7's version of the stock riff is BARELY better than Wily Wars, but it doesn't sound good.

22. Rockman & Forte: Challenger From The Future
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBp7FfbCUDk

(Stock riff) You know what? I'm feeling nice today! Rockman & Forte 2, welcome to not-the-cellar-of-the-list for a change! I mean, don't get me wrong, this isn't GOOD, in fact it's pretty much horseshit, but it's not quite as horrible a mistake as most of the other tracks in the game. It follows R&F's peppy version of the stock riff just barely well enough to sound slightly more likeable than everything else on the list so far.

21. Mega Man IV (GB)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYFLfir2-FU

(Non-stock riff) It might seem kinda mean to have MMIV this low but keep in mind there's a huge gap between the bottom 5 here and everything else, which is all pretty good. I actually don't like this one much? I mean, the actual melodic part of it is pretty cool, but I think the four seconds of that drum loop at the start make this one seem kind of silly and not exciting. I would have just cut it and had the second, cool part, but as it is the flow of it is just kinda ruined.

20. Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEktKSElC2k

(Non-stock riff) Oh. That's it? Well, it's fine.

19. Mega Man Soccer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyuLI58kJ7Y

(Non-stock riff) As usual, Mega Man Soccer decides to go its own fucking way in deciding which soundtrack to copy, taking MM5's stage select theme for some reason instead of the standard one. And hey, it's a damn good game to take your theme from! I'm not really a big fan of the brass samples used in this one though, it's just... a lot.

18. Mega Man: The Wily Wars (Wily Tower)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_6MogagVH0

(Non-stock riff) Unlike the other Wily Wars stage start themes, this one doesn't suck! It's pretty good. Not even half as grating on the ears, really.

17. Mega Man II (GB)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytXOKCEk_A4

(Non-stock riff) Come on, you know I'm going to do this to you every single time! This sucks but it sucks in a way that's hilarious and makes me love it for no reason, which is how you know it's from MMII GB. Every single note sounds so goddamn out of tune and wrong here and it makes for seven seconds of some seriously fascinating examination. No, really! I have no fucking idea what happened here and it's INTERESTING. And like usual, I do think that what was attempted here was pretty cool - it's a very dramatic little stage start theme even though it's a hot mess.

16. Mega Man V (GB)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJu5vULqdkQ

(Non-stock riff) Pretty cool. I like that sinister little chromatic-step buildup it does at the start, which is very characteristic of MMV's soundtrack as a whole - it loves those sneaky little chromatic steps. I tried to decide whether or not I liked it more than the long run of stock riff rankings we have coming up, and I decided the answer was no, but it's pretty close!

15. Mega Man 7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t072_mGWUc4

(Stock riff) The stage start theme, and also the theme for Mega Man putting on a helmet. Out of all the non-bullshit takes on the stock riff, this one's probably the weakest, it's kinda in the screechy register and the SNES soundchip just isn't doing a lot for me here, but it's not BAD or anything. I like the flair at the end.

14. Mega Man III (GB)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPNVeEQcxK0

(Stock riff) Interestingly enough, MMIII GB is the only GB game that uses the stock riff instead of its own thing, which is weird. It's probably the most forgettable take on the stock riff although by no means bad, just very very standard. Percussion's a little washed out.

13. Mega Man 11